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6 of 7 When looking to the north, a vehicle exiting the proposed project will be able to see a southbound vehicle for 5.5 to 7 seconds. While this time is sufficient for most drivers to feel comfortable making the left turn, drivers in the 75+ category may not feel that they can see a vehicle long enough to comfortably make the left turn. Analysis and Recommendations Regarding Improvements to Senior Driver Comfort Levels As noted, the traffic volumes, sight distances and other factors do not suggest that a safety issue would be caused for residents of the project or other drivers. However, recognizing that seniors may require a higher level of comfort to feel confident making left turns from the project, staff evaluated options for improving those conditions. Further improve sight distance Increasing the sight distance when looking to the north would provide a longer window of visibility and allow older drivers to better assess the available gaps in traffic. The increase in sight distance, however, would require Foothill Road to be reconstructed so that the vertical curve that is limiting sight distance is reduced. This would require significant earthwork, grading and roadway reconstruction. Foothill Road reconstruction to eliminate the vertical curve to increase sight distance is not recommended. Reduce speed Speed data collected along the project frontage shows that the overwhelming number of drivers (85%) drive at or below the 45-mph posted limit, and that nearly all drivers (99%) drive below 55 mph. The sight distance to both the north and south is adequate but is at the margin of comfort for the small proportion of vehicles that drive above the posted speed limit. These southbound drivers that travel above the speed limit could be a surprise to left turn vehicles entering Foothill Road. Installation of a radar speed sign in the southbound direction is recommended to control southbound vehicle speeds. A radar speed sign in the northbound direction would also improve the space between vehicles and allow for a larger window of acceptable gaps for vehicles exiting the proposed project. Install traffic signal It is not recommended that a signal be installed at the project site entrance. The trip generation data suggests a maximum of 14 vehicles per hour wanting to make the left turn onto Foothill Road. This volume is not enough to warrant the installation of a traffic signal. A better location for a traffic signal would be at Muirwood Drive South intersection. While this intersection also falls short of the required side street volume, the volume is closer to the warrant threshold. The installation of a traffic signal at Muirwood Drive South would provide the option to drivers having trouble making a left turn from the proposed project driveway to turn right to travel north on Foothill then right on Muirwood Drive South, make a U-turn and then use the signalized left turn lane. While this is a longer route for those motorists, the traffic signal at this location would provide access and a protected left turn to a greater number of vehicles, including non-project vehicles turning from Muirwood Drive on to Foothill Road. Recommendation Based on the above analysis, staff recommends the following: